Easy Weeknight Dinners

Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe – Easy Weeknight Meal

3 · Oct 20, 2016 · 1 Comment

Looking for a new easy weeknight meal? Your family is going to FALL in love with this tasty dish. Savor the flavors of fall with this one pot wonder.

As my kiddos have gotten older, I have found that trying to plan family dinners is getting harder and harder. We have high school activities, church activities, homework, chores… The list goes on and on it seems.

It doesn’t help that I’m a busy at home, working mom and my sweet, hardworking husband works full-time and is going to school as well. Bottom line is, we’re BUSY!

I’ve tried to find ways to help speed-up the weeknight dinner scene and one of the ways that I’ve discovered is to either grill up a bunch of chicken on Sundays or grab a rotisserie chicken or two from the market each week. I can use that chicken to whip-up all kinds of great recipes.

With the Fall rapidly approaching, I thought it would be fun to come-up with a Mexican, Fall inspired dish. Not exactly traditional, but oh-so TASTY! Not only did I want it tasty, I wanted it to be a quick and scrumptious easy weeknight meal. Thank goodness for the help from my friends at Old El Paso! Have you tried their Chicken Taco Seasoning? It’s amazing!!

This meal turned out even better than when I imagined it.

Let me show you how to make it…

Easy Weeknight Meal – Chicken Sweet Potato Skillet Recipe Video

Doesn’t it look scrumptious?! You can grab the full recipe at Old El Paso.

Easy weeknight meal - Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet

I am an official Old El Paso Blogger and am compensated for my recipe development. All thoughts and opinions are my very own.

Green Chili and Salsa Egg Muffins Recipe

10 · Sep 20, 2016 · 3 Comments

Always on the run in the morning? YEP, us too! Here’s how I figured out how to make a scrumptious egg muffins recipe for on-the-go!

Call me crazy, but I’m not always up for sweets in the morning. I’m one of those people that do really well with some scrambled egg or something like that in the morning. Sadly, we don’t always have time to bust out a pan, whip up some eggs and scramble them before work and school. We needed a take-an-go option for eggs. I thought and egg muffins (minus the Mc) would be a great way to take scrambled eggs on the go. The bonus, you can make them days ahead and either refrigerate or freeze them.

They literally take just minutes to whip-up, then you bake them in the oven. Let them cool and I wrap them in wax paper or store them in an airtight container. When you’re ready to eat them, pop them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and you have a GREAT breakfast on-the-go!

I have the recipe over on the Old El Paso website, Click HERE to get all the details.

Disclaimer / I am an Old El Paso blogger and am paid for my time and recipe creation. As always all thoughts, ideas and opinions are my very own.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Taco Recipe – Slow Cooker Approved

7 · Aug 19, 2016 · Leave a Comment

+ This Sweet and Spicy Port Taco Recipe post brought to you by the lovely folks at Old El Paso +

You guys are in for a treat today! I’m am sharing one of my family’s FAVORITE recipes that I’ve been working hard to perfect over many years and it’s finally ready to share with you, my favorite friends!

I give to you my Sweet & Spicy Pork Taco Recipe! You guys are going to fall in love with how easy this recipe is and then the flavor is going to blow you away. A little back story…

I LOVE slow cooked pork! However, for many many years I TRIED to figure out how to slow cook my pork and I was always disappointed. I would slow cook it for the appropriate time and it would turn out flavorless and no matter what I did, it was always dry and over cooked. At times it would feel like we were eating saw dust, YUCK!

Time after time I would fail. Rather than becoming discouraged, I decided to make it my mission in life to figure out how to make the best pork recipe ever. I didn’t want it just for BBQ, I also love to use it in tacos, rice bowls and salads. I tried different cuts of pork, different cooking methods, different types of cooking vessels and this my friends is the product of my mission. I have come up with the perfect slow cooked recipe and I’ll be sharing that with you in one of our favorite ways to eat it… Sweet and Spicy Pork Tacos!

These tacos are divine! They are little a whole bunch of flavor packed into our new favorite taco shell from Old El Paso™. Have you seen the new Old El Paso™ Bold Spicy Cheddar Flavored Stand ‘n Stuff Taco Shells? They’re tasty and so easy to fill and eat.

We like to stuff them with our favorite slow cooked pork, some pickled red onion and our sneaky pineapple salsa! Here’s how you make it.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Taco Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Pork Taco Recipe - Slow Cooker Approved

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Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

5 hours

Total time

6 hours

These sweet and spicy pork tacos are going to knock your socks off. The fact that you can do everything ahead of time and then assemble when you are ready to serve will make this a staple in your recipe box for sure.

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Recipe type: Main Dish

Serves: 18-20

Ingredients

Pork
6-8 lb. pork shoulder roast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons of Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning
1 whole head of garlic
3 tablespoons of chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Pickled Onions
2 red onions - thinly sliced
1 cup water
¼ cup sugar
1½ cups of red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic
Tacos
2 packages of Old El Paso Bold Spicy Cheddar Flavored Stand and Stuff Taco Shells
shredded pork
1 cup crumbled feta
pickled onions
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 jar of green salsa

Instructions

The pork for this recipe can be made in the oven or in a slow-cooker either methods works great. Place a heavy bottomed large pan or dutch oven over high heat and add the olive oil. Let the pan get nice and hot. Generously salt the pork roast on all sides and then place the roast fat side down in the hot pan.
Turn the heat down to medium and brown the roast on all sides.
Once the pork has been browned, remove from pan and place on a baking sheet.
Peel the garlic and make little incisions in the pork and place the garlic inside the opening.
Repeat this step until you have placed all of the garlic cloves in the pork roast on all sides.
Coat the pork roast with the Old El Paso Original Taco Seasoning on all sides.
Then cover the top of the pork with the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce.
Place in a 300˚ oven for 4-5 hours or in your slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours. Once the pork is 145˚ and fall off the bone tender, remove it from the oven or turn off the heat of the slow cooker and let your pork rest.
While your pork is cooking, or preferably the night before, thinly slice the onion and place in a jar.
Boil the water and then dissolve the sugar in the hot water. Pour over the onions and then add the vinegar and garlic clove. Cover the onions completely with cold water if needed. Place in refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
We’re almost ready to build our tacos, all we need now is to mix our salsa. Take your favorite green salsa and pour into a bowl. Drain the pineapple tidbits and add to the salsa, then gently mix.
Once your pork has rested for 10-15 minutes, remove the fat and then shred the pork. Place the pork in a bowl and serve along with the pickled onions, the pineapple salsa, Old El Paso Bold and Spicy Taco Shells and feta cheese.
Let your guests build their own tacos and enjoy!

For more great recipes visit Old El Paso, they have thousands of recipes that can take your boring old taco night and make it something special!

Disclaimer // I am an Old El Paso™ blogger and this was sponsored by Old El Paso™ and I received compensation for my time and supplies.

Fruity Breakfast Pizza PLUS more great Morning Hacks to Make Life Easier

8 · Jul 18, 2016 · 1 Comment

+ This Breakfast Pizza Post brought to you by Jif® Peanut Butter +

Let’s face it… Mornings can be ROUGH! But, they don’t have to be.

I know that we are mid-summer at the moment, but I’m already starting to dread back-to-school. My kiddos start in early August, so we really only have a few more precious weeks of summer left.

Now is the time to perfect our morning routine so that as we transition back into school mode, we already have a good habit to start the year off right. We sat down and pow-wow’d and came up with some great breakfast ideas and some morning hack ideas that we think will help our family have fabulous mornings and maybe your family as well!

Morning Hack #1 Plan Ahead

Nothing tanks a day faster than not having a plan. We have found that a little planning ahead of time makes for smoother mornings. Happier kiddos and definitely a happier Mom. Plan outfits, pack backpacks & make lunches the night before.

You can even make your power packed breakfast the night before with my Overnight Protein Power Oatmeal recipe!

Click the photo above to grab the full recipe.

Morning Hack #2 Keep a Well Stocked Pantry & Fridge

One of the keys to happy mornings at our house is having a well stocked pantry and fridge. Now that doesn’t mean we have an over abundance of food that goes to waste. We’ve figured out some key staples that can make several different recipes with just a few key ingredients. All of the recipes I’m sharing today have been developed with the basic ingredients above.

Fruit, nuts, flat bread, rolled oats, milk, honey, cottage cheese, yogurt and Jif® Flavored Peanut Butter Spreads in Maple & Cinnamon. That’s it! With just those ingredients my kiddos and I can make several different types of breakfasts that they all love like our fruit pizza that my little guy adores!

Fruit Breakfast Pizza Recipe

Fruity Breakfast Pizza PLUS more great Breakfast Hacks

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

7 mins

This easy and nutritious meal is great for the kiddos in the morning. They can even design their very own.

Author: Heather // WhipperBerry

Cuisine: breakfast

Serves: 1-2

Ingredients

Flat bread
1-2 tablespoons of Jif® Cinnamon Flavored Peanut Butter Spread
Fruit - You select your family's favorite fruit
Honey drizzle - optional

Instructions

Toast your flat bread to crisp it up a bit.
Spread a generous layer of the Jif® Cinnamon Flavored Peanut Butter Spread onto the flat bread.
Layer your favorite fruit on top of the peanut butter.
Drizzle with honey and ENJOY!

Morning Hack #3 Be Flexible

Now, I know that my first suggestion is to plan ahead BUT… What if your pre-schooler wants ice cream for breakfast and won’t take no for an answer? Or your middle schooler refuses to go to school without the right kind of hair spray (yep, I did that to my Mom once. 1st day of 7th grade. I had run out of Aqua Net. Stellar Middle School moment! Sorry Mom!) Pre-schoolers, middle schoolers… Really all kiddos are classic for this, trust me, I know the pain!

The key here is to be flexible. Learn how to go with the flow… Your pre-schooler wants ice cream for breakfast? Make them a smoothie bowl and they won’t know what hit them!

Click the photo above for the Peanut Butter and Fruit Smoothie Bowl Recipe

Morning Hack #4 Take Time to Slow Down

Even during the summer things can be really hectic in the morning. Chores, playdates, swim lessons you name it… Mornings can typically be a rush. On the mornings that aren’t a rush, TAKE TIME TO SLOW DOWN. Saturday or Sundays can be perfect for this. Take time to slow down and make something that is extra special for the family. Take the time to sit and giggle together, get to know each other better. These are the mornings that we want to remember for years to come!

When we take the time to slow down, our family loves to eat pancakes. I’m not always jazzed about the lack of nutrition in traditional pancakes so I’ve upped my game and made some gluten-free, protein packed pancakes that my family loves!

Click on the photo above for the recipe.

Bottom line is, you want to have smooth mornings with your family and you want them to have nutritious meals that fuel them for the day. With a little prep work you can achieve just that and EVERYONE will be healthy & happy!! Invite Jif® Flavored Peanut Butter Spreads to breakfast and you’ll be a ROCK STAR!!

Disclaimer // This post is sponsored by Jif® I received product samples for review purposes. Opinions are my own.